They’ve

它们来到

been here

这里

for thousands of years.

已有几万年。

You’re

你却是

the visitor:

一个客人。

Avoid

第一要紧的是，

encounters. Think ahead.

避免

Keep clear

与它们遭遇。

of berry patches

躲开

garbage dumps, carcasses.

草莓丛

On woods walks bring

垃圾堆与野兽的尸骸。

noisemakers, bells.

在林间小道走

Clap hands along the trail

要带会响的东西，比方说，铃铛。

or sing

一边走一边拍手

but in dense bush

或是唱歌

or by running water

可是在浓密的树丛里

bear may not hear your clatter.

或是流动的溪水旁

Whatever else

熊可能听不见你的喧闹。

don’t whistle. Whistling

干什么都成

is thought by some to imitate

千万别吹口哨。据说

the sounds bears make when they mate.

吹口哨是模仿

熊交配时发出的声音。

You need to know

there are two kinds:

你必须知道

ursus arctus horribilis

有两种熊：

or grizzly

Ursus arctus horribilis①

and ursus americanus

也就是灰熊

the smaller black

还有ursus americanus②

said to be

也就是小黑熊

somewhat less likely to attack.

据说后面这种

Alas, a small horribilis

不大会主动攻击人

is difficult to distinguish

可惜，一只小的horribilis

from a large americanus.

和一只大的americanus

很难区分。

Although

there is no guaranteed life-saving way

面对熊的攻击

to deal with an aggressive bear

虽然没有

some ploys

绝对可靠的

have probed more

救生办法

successful than others.

但是根据经验

Running’s a poor choice.

有几种措施

Bear can outrun a racehorse.

还是比较可行。

逃跑最要不得。

Once you’re face to face

熊跑起来比赛马还快。

speak softly. Take

off your pack

一旦与熊面面相对

and set it down

你柔声说话。解下

to distract the grizzly,

背包

Meanwhile back

放在地上

slowly toward a large

以转移熊的注意力。

sparsely branched tree

同时慢慢地

but remember

倒退着走开

black bears are agile climbers

找一棵枝干稀疏的大树

in which case

不过得记住

a tree may not offer escape.

黑熊爬树很灵巧

遇到它们

As a last resort you can

这个办法算是白搭。

play dead. Drop

to the ground face down.

你最后还有一招

In this case

那就是装死。脸朝地

wearing your pack

直愣愣倒下。

may shield your body from attack.

这种情况下面

Courage. Lie still. Sometimes

背包不摘

you bear may veer away.

倒可以挡去一些抓挠。

If not

要勇敢。绝对不要动。有时候

bears have been known

你那只熊兴趣说不定会转移。

to inflict only minor injuries

要是它不走

upon the prone.

据说

对平躺的东西

Is death

熊施加的伤害

by bear to be preferred

相对说总比较小。

to death by bomb? Under

these extenuating circumstances

死于熊吻

your mind may make absurd

岂不强似

leaps. The answer’s yes.

死于炸弹？有了种种

Come on in, Cherish

缓解的办法

your wilderness.

说不定你会咬一咬牙

赞同这种看法。

那好，请朝前走。要珍惜

你的大森林天然环境。

译注：①②均为拉丁文，分别是灰熊和小黑熊的学名。